About two weeks ago, we started noticing a lot of repetitive behavior (perseverating) by Gabe. It began with him shaking his head back and forth, letting his vocal cords resonate with each passing. Boo, my daughter, sometimes would follow, imitating him, laughing.
"Ok. Ok. You both need to stop shaking your heads or you're going to get too dizzy!" I would laugh.
Boo stopped, but Gabe would continue, never slowing down until a few minutes later. He seemed "hooked" on the sensation of getting dizzy or maybe the sound of his voice and the rapid movement. I shrugged it off. Thinking Gabe was just exploring new things, just happened to be with his head that particular day.
But, the next day it happened, and the next. Now, it seems to slip into our daily routine a few times a day. I try redirecting without drawing attention to what he is doing with his head. It goes like this,
"Gabe, touch your head!"(He touches his head)
"Great Job! Where's your toes?" (Points to toes)
"Are those your piggies? "(Tickle, tickle, smile, giggle)
Half the time he does not continue shaking his head, but instead decides to look at a book I may have handed him or another toy. However, it is the times that he goes right back to shaking his head where I want to just give him a big hug so he can't shake his head. If I redirect with more than a few questions, that in it's self becomes "unnatural".
A few months ago he began the fun, and never tiring running in a circle. At first, I thought he was just running around like kids do, but it didn't seem to expand into anything more than just running around in the same circle. There wasn't a "Look mom! I jumped over a car! Or, maybe I'll slide down the slide once during my travels. Just around and around. He is having fun. Big smiles and laughter. The repetition looks very OCD. (I have OCD, so spotting it comes easily to me for obvious reasons)
Another behavior emerged in Chicago and that was to lick his hand. He did that for about three days, off and on. He has recently stopped for the last four days. I would give him something to drink that had a straw and that seemed to really help.
He also rediscovered his love of button pushing in an aquarium we visted.
*Pause*
I'm listening to Gabe singing his ABC's as 123's in his bedroom. SD tucked him in over an hour ago. Normally he is passed out cold by now. I don't think I will ever tire of listening to him talk and sing.
*Ok, back to what I was saying...*
His behavior and language have been off this past week and a half. He has resorted to more "Gabey Language", but then turns around and says, "Need Chair," picks up chair and heads to the bookshelf. "Why do you need a chair Gabe?" I say. "Get Train." He POINTS!!!! "Do you want to PLAY with the train?" I model with a smile. "YES!" "Gabe, say PLAY WITH TRAIN." Jumping up and down, "Play with train!" High pitch squeal of delight.
Total interactive conversation.
One minute it's "A dubbadiggadooeydunbba" to "Want chair... play train....Yeah!"
We're working on his tone. He can imitate a lower tone, but his "natural" voice that he uses is a little high and soft. If he wants to talk louder, he just gets shriller. It's as if he can't really hear or control his voice. He responds with and utilizes the tone that is being used around him. If women are around him, he speaks higher, around SD -lower, by himself -a little high, not quite to my pitch though.
I wonder if something new is about to emerge with Gabe. I find that his perseverating is the first sign of growth, especially in the use and understanding of language.
